Uchida Fumiko, 40
Organic Soy Bean Farmer from Kumamoto
What do you do?
Basically we’re farmers. Initially we bought cows but then realized that they had to be killed. We didn’t like that. When I was young my grandmother used to make homemade natto for the family so I thought, why not try that? Also, I wanted to make organic natto because it’s good for human health and the environment. I discovered that natto making is very difficult! For two years there was a pattern of making it and having to throw it away. Then we had to learn to sell it to stores, which wasn’t easy. We’d make too much or too little. Each batch takes about two days to make. We grow the organic soy beans right here on my farms. We grow organic tea leaves too.What are the good and bad points?
I love the outdoors; I love living in the country. Nothing is inconvenient. As for making natto, there is no holiday. We work every day because orders are constantly coming in. No days--not Sunday, not ever--are completely free. This means we can’t always spend as much time with the kids as we’d like. But they help on the farm so we do have chances to communicate--just no time for outings.What makes the natto stringy?
It’s the bacteria. The only ingredients are soy beans, bacteria and water. The beans and bacteria are mixed then heated in a small room, with fans blowing for circulation. It takes 18 hours to fully ferment. The natto is then placed in the cooler.Some say natto is more nutritious if you stir it before eating. True?
I don’t think it makes any difference. The nutrition is the same.Why does natto have such a bad reputation, especially that foreigners hate it?
It’s smelly. It has a unique odor; some think it smells rotten. And it’s sticky. Some Japanese hate it for the same reasons.What are some ways to eat natto?
With salt, mentsuyu (soba (buckwheat) sauce), mustard, kimchee, grated daikon, on bread or toast, with cheese, in a sandwich or nori, or in miso soup with vegetables.How is the income?
About ¥400,000 per month from both the natto and tea.What’s your future dream?
I’d like to work a little less and do more environmental work planting trees or educating. Sometimes children come here for an educational tour. Also I’ve been trying to organize protests against the nearby trash burning facilities. We’ve got to recycle more.the end
This interview was originally published in Kansai Time Out magazine.